budget

The new state budget has been in place for nearly a week, but little attention has been paid to many of the items that are in it. A government reform group says that’s by design.

As soon as the state spending plan was passed, Governor Andrew Cuomo made the most of two items that have received the greatest public attention: a graduated increase in the state’s minimum wage, and a future paid family leave program, to take full effect in several years.

The budget passed on a Friday night. By Monday morning Cuomo was at a political rally touting his successes.

Advocates gathered at several Long Island Rail Road stations on Monday to pressure lawmakers to include a $15 minimum wage in the New York State budget. More than a dozen supporters, including Rachel Ackoff of Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice, held a press conference at the Hicksville train station.